Welcome to the gaffe-off!

If you get the reference, 5 bonus points for you!

Decided to start a section on gaffes, because there are so many of them that hit the headlines in this little country. What’s that? Women are baby-making machines? Can only trust folks with black hair? If you don’t what I’m referring to, lucky you for not keeping up with all the ridiculous news of the past several years.

Kawasaki Doctor: At lecutre “Keep on smoking and die early”
A male doctor (55) at the Kawasaki Municipal Ita Hospital (Nakahara Ward, Tsunejirou Kanda Director) made the remark at a Q&Q session for a lecture held on the 7th in Toyama city, “It’s obvious that medical expenses will pile up with progress of anti-smoking compaigns. It’s better to just have people keep on smoking and die early.” Groups for the promotion of anti-smoking have cried out that this was an unreasonable remark to make, unimaginable as that of a doctor who protects the health and lives of people. In response to questioning the doctor has explained that he was unable to express what he really meant and it has given rise to a misunderstanding.

According to the hospital and others, there were 30 participants at the lecture which was sponsored by the Toyama prefecture’s medical association. The doctor gave a lecture on the topic of medical and nursing care. During the Q&A he was asked about the ordinance to prevent second-hand smoke in public institutions that is hoped to be enacted in Kanagawa prefecture and he made his remark in response.

The doctor has explained “because I also smoke, I meant to say that smoking is a matter of personal responsibility but I was misunderstood.” He continued on to say what he’d thought to say was that rather than non-smoking campaigns, more efforts should be put into supporting people who cannot receive medical and nursing care.